


Anything For You, Pink

by Whatocallmyself



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-03
Updated: 2019-02-03
Packaged: 2019-10-21 08:17:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17639177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whatocallmyself/pseuds/Whatocallmyself
Summary: White Diamond, Blue Diamond and Yellow Diamond finally follow up on their threat to take away Pink's Pearl. However a Diamond needs a Pearl as a matter of a status symbol so she is given a fresh servant. But Pink never wanted a servant. She wanted a friend.





	Anything For You, Pink

‘My Diamond.’

The Pearl gave a salute, and then dipped into a bow. It was hardwired into her gem, just like every other inferior gem on this planet made to serve the Great Diamond Authority.

Pink Diamond looked the little thing up and down. She was the same model as her old Pearl, but her gem was located in her head. Of course, White picked a pearl that was led by her head, not by her instinct like her old one.

Pink sighed, getting to her feet.

‘Thank you, Blue. She is more than an adequate replacement,’ she said with a smile, looking up at the gem towering over even she.

‘Make sure you look after her Pink. White went through a lot to fix your old one,’ Blue told her through pursed lips.

Pink gave a nod, waiting for Blue to leave before turning back to the pearl - her pearl.

She had every Diamond’s colour in her ensemble, as the default was for pearl’s until their owner was assigned to them and chose their colours and outfit. Blue and Yellow’s pearl’s were dressed in so little, made to show off for every other gem, a status symbol.

Her pearl had been more than that. She had been her confidant, they went everywhere together. They had been friends.

But it was improper. Blue hadn’t liked the way Pink’s pearl hadn’t done menial tasks like open doors for Pink. Yellow hadn’t liked how instead of sitting quietly and observing her commanding her fleets, Pink and her pearl had whispered to each other and giggled. White had given an ultimatum the third time Pink had been late for a ceremony that demanded her attendance. Buck up, or her pearl would be fixed.

They’d tried so hard after that for cycles to be good and proper and do what was expected of them. Yellow and Blue tried to catch them off guard but it had been White who had caught them sneaking around where they shouldn’t have been finally.

Pink had spent three cycles in the tower, and when she got out, her pearl was nowhere to be found. She hadn’t had a day to herself since, following Yellow and Blue across planets and colonies. 

She was bored. She wanted to play, or at least do some of the things Yellow and Blue did. She’d begged Yellow to let her command one of her drop ships just like she did, but Yellow had called her irresponsible, incapable, ridiculous, immature. Pink had been taken back to Homeworld after that, and stayed in her room, the Pebbles drying her tears and trying to cheer her up but even they stayed tucked away after a few long weeks. 

She missed her friend.

‘How may I serve you, my Diamond?’ the pearl asked, hands locked in a salute.

‘Please, call me Pink. And no saluting when there’s no one around.’

The look of shock was brief, but unmissable across the pearl’s face.

‘Yes my- Pink.’

Her hands relaxed to her sides and her knees bent a little, the fourth position her feet were in straying as her ankles straightened too.

‘Come, sit with me,’ Pink asked, patting the cushioned seat next to her.

Pearl obeyed and Pink’s look dropped as she realised. She waited for the smaller gem to sit before turning to her and crossing her legs in front of her. Pearl’s ankles were crossed, tips of her toes pointed against the ground. Pink had forgotten how proper new pearl’s were.

‘That wasn’t an order. I won’t ever give you orders or make you do anything you don’t want to or don’t like, ok?’ Pink insisted, speaking too fast.

Pearl blinked.

‘But, my Diamond, I am created to serve you. I can’t… defy your orders.’

‘You can if I don’t give you any,’ Pink said, lips curling into a grin. ‘The best way you can serve me is by being my friend.’

‘F…riend?’ Pearl asked.

The Diamond nodded her head, candy floss curls bouncing atop her head.

‘Yes!’

‘My… Pink, I don’t understand.’

Was her last pearl one of a kind? Was this one capable of feeling like the other one had?

‘My Pearl, I don’t need a servant. I don’t want a servant.’

‘You don’t want me?’

The look of pain was evident in Pearl’s eyes.

She was expressive, that was good. Yellow’s pearl was as stoney faced as her superior and Blue’s was completely unreadable behind her hair other than the stream of tears so often running down her cheek. Her pearl has laughed and smiled and told her jokes.

‘Yes I want you,’ Pink said quickly, unable to stop herself placing a hand on Pearl’s nearest shoulder.

The pair looked at each other for a long time until Pink let out a sigh.

‘I’m sorry,’ she began. ‘It’s a lot to ask from a freshly grown pearl.’

The pearl stressed at her bottom lip before speaking.

‘I’m not new, Pink.’

Pink’s slouched shoulders stiffened and a smile came back to her lips.

‘Tell me about yourself, please, anything you want.’

Pearl nodded and thought, lip taken between her teeth again.

‘I was grown like all pearl’s in the last nursery here on Homeworld. I’ve been waiting there for someone to claim me.’

Pink nodded as she paused.

‘There was someone once. I’m not sure who, but they were hurt in battle. My number was recycled and sent to the bottom of the list so it was hundreds of years before I was called again. Which is how I came to you, my Diamond.’

Her voice was so soft, her hands folded in her lap, fingertips grazing over each other, tapping against the tips of her nails as she spoke.

‘I am honoured to have been chosen to serve a Diamond.’

It was the greatest honour. No other gem outranked a Diamond. To be picked from all those in the nursery, she must have been something.

‘What is it like in the nursery, Pearl?’ Pink asked.

‘Quiet,’ she replied quickly. ‘That is to say, Pearl’s there may only speak when given permission. Not many of the certified kindergarteners give permission.’

‘What about you?’

‘The orderly who oversaw my batch of pearl’s liked to hear us sing.’

Her blue eyes were shining, a glaze of tears covering them.

‘There was a pearl, the one made just before me, she had the best voice of all of us, she sang the most… until one of the Peridot’s got annoyed with her singing.’

Pink shifted in her seat, placing her hands under her thighs.

‘What did she do?’

‘A destabilizer. And then the pearl was shattered.’

‘Under whose orders?’ Pink asked with a frown.

‘N-no ones. The orderly did it herself. Our overseer tried to stop her but the pearl’s gem was already under the other’s gravity connector.’

‘No,’ Pink whispered. ‘That’s not right. Unless during wartime, no gem may be shattered without fair trial and the sign off of a Diamond.’

Pearl gave a nod of her head.

‘That’s how it was. How it is.’

‘What do you mean?’ Pink asked.

‘Pearl’s that disobeyed orders, that didn’t sing well or sang too much, or whose legs weren’t long enough or whose eyes weren’t rich enough were destroyed and recycled.’

‘So you could be made of remnants of other pearl’s?’

Would White and Blue and Yellow have shattered her pearl? Had she received a fair trial? Or were parts of her pearl being ground up to grow new pearl’s as she sat here?

‘Come with me,’ Pink said, getting to her feet, hands balled into fists at her side and chest.

‘Yes my Diamond,’ Pearl sang, rising, feet crossing into fourth position again.

‘We’re going to talk to White. She’ll stop this mistreatment in the nursery.’

Pearl followed as Pink marched out of her room, knowing her way effortlessly through the twists and turns of the structure. However, when she got to the main doors, were a pair of carnelians were guarding the doors with jagged spears in their hands, they were stopped.

‘What is this?’ Pink asked, pouting as the guards crossed their spears in front of her.

When there was no answer, she tried to shove through.

‘My Diamond, White Diamond has not allowed for you to wander from your suite yet.’

‘I don’t care. I need to see White,’ she demanded. ‘I, I want to thank her for my new pearl.’

The change in her approach was tactical. White adored praise and Pink showing her gratitude. It was mature, responsible.

‘If you aren’t allowed to leave me then escort me to White.’

The carnelians exchanged a look before nodding to each other, straightening their spears, one stepping forward, Pink and her pearl stepping into line behind, and the other flanking their backs.

‘Come beside me,’ Pink whispered to her pearl, holding a hand out.

‘My Diamond, you said…’

‘It’s fine. White will see it as me accepting you.’

Pearl doubled her pace and fell into step beside her superior, stepping double time to keep up.

Pink smiled down at her and the pearl gave a small, nervous smile back.

‘Wait here,’ one of the carnelians ordered when they reached the doors of White’s quarters.

She went in, leaving Pink, Pearl and the other carnelian standing in an awkward silence.

‘What happened to the amethysts that were assigned to my doors?’ Pink asked, tired of the quiet.

‘I, uh, they were sent to help out with a colony that’s emerging. Some of the newborns were defective.’

Pink’s jaw tightened. She wished she hadn’t asked.

The door opened and Pink turned to it again, toes curling and relaxing in her shoes.

There was no one there? Was she meant to enter? Where was the other carnelian to escort them?

A white orb half the size of Pink rose from the ground beyond the threshold, stopping when it had fully emerged before the top gathered back on itself.

‘Pink Diamond,’ White’s voice came, flat, emotionless, an echo of it’s true owner.

The voice didn’t bother her. The speaker did.

A bleached out pearl. No, not just any pearl. Her pearl. Eyes glassy and unblinking. Once vibrant cerise coverings now black and grey. Her hands were outstretched to the sides, palms facing the skies. A wide, unnerving smile was plastered over her face, stretching from ear to ear. And her once radiant eyes were…

She was cracked.

Pink stepped back, hands at her mouth. Her new pearl looked between her mistress and the other pearl.

‘Pearl,’ Pink whispered, hands still to her mouth. ‘What has she..?’ her words trailed off and she tried to reach out for her friend, stopping when she moved back, pointed feet an inch from the ground as she floated ominously.

‘White Diamond thanks you for your visit but regrets she cannot meet you today. You are to return to your rooms and not leave until instructed.’

All fire had gone from her. Pink felt tears pricking her eyes and she fought hard to hold them back.

‘Your new pearl will make you happy.’

‘My old pearl made me happy,’ Pink snapped.

Out of every punishment she had been given, this was without a doubt the cruelest. This wasn’t fair. Pearl had done nothing wrong. It was Pink who should pay for her misdemeanours, not Pearl.

‘Come on,’ Carnelian said, placing a hand on Pink’s shoulder.

‘Don’t touch me!’ Pink shouted, voice echoing across the empty space. ‘I can go back myself.’

With that, she gave one last teary eyed gaze to her old pearl before turning on her heels and storming off.

The doors to White Diamond’s chambers closed as soon as Pink’s back was turned and Carnelian and Pearl gave each other a glance.

‘Uh,’ Carnelian began, looking to the doors for her accomplice. 

‘Wait for her. I’ll make sure Pink Diamond gets back to where she should be.’

‘Ok…’

The carnelian didn’t look convinced but Pearl didn’t wait for her to say anything more. She turned and followed the steps her diamond had taken.

She knew what every other gem knew of the Diamonds. What was injected into her at her forming. The Diamonds were the great gem matriarchs. The elite. She was lucky to be serving a Diamond. But she’d also been told Pink Diamond was difficult. She was to make Pink happy. Entertain her. Cut down and eradicate her tantrums, and her escapes, and her lateness, bad behaviour, brashness, non conformation of the ideals that the Diamonds set out for the entire of gem kind.

She was slow in her return to Pink Diamond’s room, finding her face down on her chaise longue, arms folded under her face and body shaking as she sobbed.

Pearl stood silently in the doorway, the sound of the doors opening and closing having announced her arrival. She folded her hand behind her back and stood with her feet turned out.

‘I hate them,’ Pink said, face still buried in her arms.

‘Pardon, my Diamond?’ Pearl asked, surprised she talked to her so soon.

‘I hate them,’ she repeated louder, sitting up on her knees and forcefully wiping her tears away. ‘White and Yellow and Blue.’

‘My Diamond…’

‘Pink!’ she snapped, crying again when she saw Pearl’s shock at being shouted at. ‘I’m sorry, that wasn’t fair. None of this is your fault.’

Pearl stayed silent.

‘Come here, bring my hair brush.’

Pearl did as she was told, slowly, giving Pink time to wipe her tears.

‘Would you like me to?’ Pearl began.

‘No,’ Pink interrupted, gently taking the brush from her. ‘Sit, please?’ she asked, patting the seat as she had done earlier.

Pearl wanted to hesitate. Pink wanted to brush her hair? A pearl’s hair? That was wrong. A Diamond shouldn’t be serving a pearl so.

She sat, cross legged, back to Pink Diamond, and tried hard to suppress a shiver as Pink began to run her fingers through the back of Pearl’s hair.

‘Your hair is nearly the same colour as mine,’ Pink told her, an unseen smile on her lips.

Pearl didn’t understand this sudden change in attitude, but maybe Pink needed to distract herself from the anger?

‘Does that make you happy, my- Pink?’

‘Yes… it’s soft.’

She brought the brush up to Pearl’s hair and began to brush through it ever so gently. After a while, Pearl’s eyes closed and she let out a soft sigh.

Pink’s smile widened behind her.

‘It took my last pearl a long time to be comfortable around me and understand that we were equals.’

Pearl’s eyes opened and looked as far back to Pink as she could manage without moving her head.

‘I would like it if we could avoid that. It was awkward.’

Pearl nodded her head.

‘Yes Pink.’

‘You don’t need to be afraid of me Pearl. I know some gems take advantage of their pearls and hurt them, but I won’t ever harm you.’

She might not, but what if someone else did?

‘May I ask you a question?’ Pearl asked tentatively.

‘Ask away.’

‘That pearl back then… that was… my predecessor?’

Pink lowered her hands from Pearl’s head.

‘Yes. I’m sorry you had to see that.’

‘If I… we get caught acting as equals, is that what will happen to me?’ Pearl asked.

‘I’m not sure.’

‘Can she ever go back to how she was?’

‘I don’t know. I hope so but…’

Pink’s head bowed. Pearl turned to her, legs stretching out over the edge of the seat.’

‘White is so strong. I don’t know if her power can ever be undone. But I can stop it happening again. We will have to be extra careful, I’ll have to be really good and do exactly what they expect of me. You can help me with that, can’t you?’

‘Yes my Diamond. That’s my purpose.’

Pink looked disappointed at that.

‘As far as the other Diamonds are aware,’ Pearl added when she saw the look on Pink’s face.

‘Thank you!’

Before Pearl knew what was happening, Pink was hugging her, arms around the smaller gem’s shoulders, lifting her off the chair and close into her.

‘Anything for you, Pink.’


End file.
